I'm also dabbling in 'analogue' stills photography now. Here's a still from the first roll of 120 film I've got back from the lab (Lomography Diana camera). It's the old cinema building on Essex Road Islington, just round the corner from the TANDEM studio.
Although it's seen better days, this is a huge 1930 cinema designed by George Coles with a very impressive Egyptian-themed tiled façade. The building was a cinema up until the 70s, then became a Mecca Bingo Hall up until 2007. Though the building has been derelict since, it is owned by an evangelical church group who are trying to get planning approval and finances together to do something with it.
Here's a hastily put-together panoramic ' showing the whole of the façade and a bit more of its setting in Essex Road (digital photos from my Canon 600d camera)...
I've become particularly intrigued by the story of this building, and am in the process of finding out all I can about it.
2 comments:
Hi Chris
I love this building too, great photos. I would really like to know more about it and what plans there are for its future. I'm a trainee journalist and considering doing a story on it.
Please email me amywestgarth@gmail.com if you would be willing to share your research.
Thanks, I hope to hear from you.
Amy
Hello Amy,
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I've posted a little more about the cinema in a later post, here... http://www.chrisgavin.com/2012/10/cinema-theatre-archive.html .I found the CTA (Cinema Theatre Association really helpful). I'm researching the cinema, because I'm considering making a short animation/documentary film about it and yes it does have a fascinating story... The current owners of the building are an evangelical church, and although they've owned it for about 5 years, none of their plans have yet come to fruition. I'm still collecting information and interviews etc. for my project...
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